As is well known, the use of hand massaging of the scalp has been used to stimulate blood circulation which promotes scalp health and also has a relaxing effect. Additionally, such massaging has been found to stimulate hair growth. The usual hand massage is accomplished by placing the fingers of the hands on each side of the top of the head with the thumb of each hand engaging the side of the head just above one ear. Keeping the thumb of each hand relatively stationary, the fingers of each hand are moved toward and away from each other to cause the outer skin layer of the head to move relative to the skull. At the same time, the outer skin layer on the right side of the head is alternately moved back and forth with respect to that portion of said outer skin layer on the opposite or left side of the head. This type of massage has been found most effective in stimulating circulation in the scalp which promotes scalp health and relaxation as well as stimulating hair growth.
Many types of scalp treatment devices have been patented but none have been particularly successful with the possible exception of the hand vibrator which depends not on the vibrator but upon the hand of the person using such vibrator. Actually, a vibrator merely causes a vibration of relative small motion, so that it applies its vibratory action only to a very limited or localized area. It is impossible to impart any substantial movement of the outer skin layer with respect to the skull as is done with a hand massage. There are many types of vibrators in the prior art and examples of such types are shown in the patents to Merrill U.S. Pat. No. 1,974,031, Schamblin U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,326, Wojtowicz U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,204 and Okazaki et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,134. The patent to Schopfel U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,913 illustrates a scalp vibrator which applies vibration to various areas of the scalp but it makes no attempt to impart a lateral motion to large areas of the outer skin layer so as to move such large areas toward and away from each other relative to the skull and in a motion which duplicates the hand massage.
Other prior patents of some general interest are Avery U.S. Pat. No. 2,569,795, Heger U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,145, Avery U.S. Pat. No. 2,657,684 and Pitzen et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,850. However, none of these devices attempt to impart the "hand massage" motion to the outer skin layer of the scalp.